E-bike riders seek equality with pedal-pushing counterparts

In the battle for space on Toronto roads, a burgeoning group of people zipping around the city on electric-powered bicycles want to be treated like their counterparts on human-powered two-wheelers.

A handful of “e-bike” riders showed up Thursday at the city’s public works and infrastructure committee, urging politicians to change the definition of a bicycle in the city rulebooks to allow e-bikes on bicycle lanes and trails. As it stands, only bicycles and tricycles propelled by “muscular power” are allowed to use that space.

“I’m here to support e-bike equality,” said Philip Cass, who has been stopped twice by police since June on bicycle trails.

“All we want to do is get from Point A to Point B,” added James Thompson, a construction worker who said he feels safer in a bike lane than on the road next to cars.

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I’m of two minds on electric bikes. As a cyclist, the venal side of me hates them as intruders. But the logical side of me recognises that I am actually rarely, if ever, actually inconvenienced by them, even the hated ‘scooter-style’ electric bikes. And if Toronto is ever going to get more cycling infrastructure built, we need all the additional voices we can get.